FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Local Survivors to Be Tested on Friday

Defending Division III champion Paramount and La Mirada, the surprise team of Division VI, are the only Southeast/Long Beach area teams remaining in the CIF Southern Section high school football playoffs.

Paramount (11-1) will play Capistrano Valley (12-0) Friday night at the Santa Ana Bowl. In another Friday semifinal, La Mirada (9-3) will play host to La Quinta (8-4). Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

In the Los Angeles city playoffs, South Gate (9-0-1) will be at home against Westchester in a Division III second-round game Friday night at 7:30.

Six area teams were eliminated last week. Poly lost to San Gorgonio, 14-6; Wilson fell to Fontana, 28-0; Dominguez was beaten by Mission Viejo, 34-6; Valley Christian lost to Tehachapi, 25-24, in two overtimes; Whittier Christian was defeated by Bishop, 23-13, and El Rancho was shut out by Upland, 21-0.

Paramount vs. Capistrano Valley: The Pirates advanced last week by defeating Hart, 16-14, on a 56-yard touchdown run by Leon Neal with 3:10 to play. Quarterback Jack Manu passed for 131 yards and ran for 126 on 20 carries. Top-seeded Capistrano Valley last week beat Santa Ana, 44-12, as quarterback Tony Solliday completed 10 passes for 226 yards and Paul Shaheen gained 150 yards on 13 carries. Paramount Coach Ken Sutch is not overly concerned that the game is away from home. “Our team won twice on the road in the playoffs last year,� he said.

La Quinta at La Mirada: La Mirada won its fifth consecutive game last week, defeating Western, 14-0, in the quarterfinals. Coach John Mele’s Matadors held Western to 142 yards and won despite the absence of fullback-linebacker Joe Fernandez, who had hurt his back in an auto accident. Replacing Fernandez, Rob Hays ran for 64 yards and a TD and Kendall Alexander gained 42 yards. Quarterback Chad Drown threw for 130 yards, and Eric De La Cruz caught five passes for 94 yards and a TD. Pass-minded La Quinta is coming off a 23-16 victory over Newport Harbor. Aztec quarterback Richard Weaver completed 17 passes for 219 yards, and Trent Julian scored twice, the second time on a 16-yard run that won the game.

Westchester at South Gate: Gary Cordray’s South Gate Rams, who last week defeated Reseda, 20-19, are 9-0-1 and have gone 24 games without a defeat. They were tied, 7-7, by Roosevelt two weeks ago. South Gate depends on running back Ivan Wilson, who averages six yards a carry. Westchester (9-2), a good running team with a strong defense, will try to avenge a 13-9 loss to South Gate in last year’s championship game.